APRU

The Applied Policy Research Unit (APRU) is an arm of the Centre for Rural Health Research focused on producing and synthesizing policy relevant research to inform rural health service planning in a timely, user-friendly way.

Team

Rural health services policy analysis and evidence reviews are conducted by a team of academic researchers and rural practitioners with expertise and experience in rural health services, health policy, research synthesis methodologies and knowledge translation strategies. APRU is supported by the Centre for Rural Health Research, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, the Rural Coordination Centre of BC and the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia.

Services offered include:

Focused review of existing evidence to inform a policy or planning direction

Primary data collection and analysis to support health policies and programs

Rapid response evaluation of policy directions for rural communities

Recent project examples:

A realist review of optimal rural perinatal surgical services

A review of enablers for distributed models of maternity care for BC’s Indigenous women and communities

Expert attendance at a symposium to inform gaps in rural research and support generating a strategic research agenda

Rapid response on the implication of a rural policy direction

Eligibility

If you are a health planner or decision-maker with a need for research evidence on rural health services, we invite a brief statement of interest. This will be followed by a discussion to see how we can best meet your evidence needs to inform policy and planning. The service is offered on a cost-recovery basis. For more information please contact the CRHR office (604-827-2544) or Dr. Jude Kornelsen (jude.kornelsen@familymed.ubc.ca; 250-653-4325).